Out of the Mouth of Babes

My 7-year old niece, Adaya, came from Chicago to visit me recently. When we sat down to eat our dinner the first evening, she said simply, “Auntie Sheila, I want to have a toast.” It was adorable and matter-of-fact, so of course we raised our water glasses. She then said, “I toast your home and Atlanta.” We clinked glasses and ate, enjoying each other's company.

Some of her other toasts over the weekend included:

The chairs we were sitting on

Families

Auntie Sheila

Enough food to eat

God for giving us Jesus

Clothes

I actually had to call her and ask what the toasts were as I was writing this post, and she spouted them out as if she had just said them yesterday, even though our visit was several weeks ago. She also shared that she always toasts – sometimes the same things over and over.

What I have learned from my sweet Adaya is this: that it is important to have an attitude of gratitude. Isn't it funny how sometimes children are the perfect example of what us adults need? She is a wonderful reminder to recognize the small pleasures in life that we tend to take for granted.

I leave you today with this: each day is an opportunity to practice having an attitude of gratitude. May we never be too busy or too stressed to take moments throughout the day to give thanks.